"It is only that I am feeling a little depressed to-day; and your--I mean--oh, I cannot explain!"

And therewith she turned away abruptly, and beat a hasty retreat to the shelter of the tent.

Leslie looked after her as though for a moment he felt inclined to follow her. Then he thought better of it, and meditatively proceeded to land the things that he had brought ash.o.r.e from the brig. This done, he hunted up the axe and wandered off to the woods in search of a couple of spars to serve as sheers for working the main hatchway. The cutting down of these, the conveyance of them to the sh.o.r.e, and the towing of them off alongside the brig provided him with plenty of work for the remainder of the day; he therefore did not again meet his companion until the day's work was over and they sat down to dinner. It was apparent that by that time the young lady had completely recovered her spirits; but she carefully avoided all reference to the little scene that had occurred earlier in the day, so Leslie thought it best to let the matter drop, although he continued to puzzle over it for several days thereafter.

The following day saw Leslie once again aboard the brig, where he busied himself in getting his spars in on deck, converting them into sheers, fitting them, and by means of tackles and stays rearing them into position and securing them. It was a long and heavy job, occupying him the entire day, and sending him back to the island at night completely f.a.gged out. But on the succeeding day he went off to the brig early--in fact, before Flora made her appearance--and strenuously devoted himself to the task of breaking out the contents of the main hold. He spent the entire morning in rousing cases, bales, and packages of all kinds up on deck; and after partaking of a hurried lunch he carefully opened these and examined their contents. Two of the largest he found to contain respectively men's and women's clothing; another contained books and music; a fourth contained stationery and drawing-paper; a fifth contained rolls of silk, linen, drapery, ribbons, laces, and haberdashery; and all these he lowered on to the deck of the catamaran for conveyance to the sh.o.r.e. Others contained rolls of wall-paper, ironmongery, photographic materials, drugs--with the properties and uses of which he was unacquainted--lawn-mowers, garden rollers, and other matters that did not appeal to him; and these he sent over the side to keep the bird-cages company. Then, when the sun was within half an hour of the western horizon, he left the brig and returned to the island with his booty.

Flora seemed greatly amused when Leslie told her what he had brought ash.o.r.e.

"Why, d.i.c.k," she exclaimed, "there is enough clothing in those two cases to last us for the rest of our lives; to say nothing of that third case which you say is full of unmade silks and linen. Surely it was scarcely necessary to c.u.mber yourself with the last, was it?"

"Who knows?" answered Leslie. "It is impossible to say how long we may be compelled to remain on this island; and I intend to save every single article and thing that may by any possibility be useful to us. I am not going to take any chances. For aught that I can tell, it may be beyond my power to construct such a craft as I have in my mind; in which case we may be compelled to remain here until--it may be years hence--a ship comes along and rescues us. I have no wish to alarm you, dear,"--it was surprising how often that term now rose to his lips, and how difficult he found it to avoid letting it slip out--"but I cannot conceal from myself--and it would be unfair to conceal from you--the possibility that we may be obliged to spend a quite appreciable portion of our lives here; and I intend to make the very fullest provision possible for such a contingency. But do not be frightened," he continued, catching the sudden look of gravity that leapt into her face; "you shall not be detained here a moment longer than I can help."

"Oh, d.i.c.k, it is not so much _that_," she murmured; "it is the terrible anxiety that my poor father must be suffering that worries me."

"Ah, yes," agreed Leslie; "I can quite understand the poor gentleman's feelings. Why didn't I think of that before?" he suddenly e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.

"Look here. I will write a message, seal it up in a bottle, and set it adrift clear of the island to-morrow. There is just a chance in a thousand--or perhaps ten thousand--that it may be picked up; and in that case, not only will your father's anxiety be relieved, but help and rescue will be brought to us. I will write my statement immediately after dinner."

CHAPTER TEN.

A DISCOVERY--AND A CONFESSION.

The statement that d.i.c.k Leslie that evening wrote ran as follows:--

"The finder of this doc.u.ment is earnestly requested to communicate its contents to Lloyds, the British Admiralty, the leading London newspapers, and Sir Ernest Trevor, K.C.M.G., Judge of Her Majesty's Supreme Court, Bombay.

"On the--day of --, in the year 18--, the ship _Golden Fleece_, Captain Rainhill, sailed from London for Melbourne, having on board, among other pa.s.sengers, Miss Flora Trevor, daughter of the above-named Sir Ernest Trevor, and Mr Richard Leslie.

"On the night of the--day of --, in the same year, the ship's reckoning at noon on that day being Lat.i.tude 32 degrees 10 minutes North and Longitude 26 degrees 55 minutes West, the _Golden Fleece_ was run into and sunk by an unknown steamer during a dense fog. The only known survivors of the wreck consisted of the above-named Flora Trevor, Richard Leslie, and a seaman named George Baker, belonging to the ship.

These three persons were picked up and rescued on the following day by the brig _Mermaid_ of London, James Potter, master, which sailed from the last-named port on the --th day of --, bound for Valparaiso.

"On the date of the rescue of the three above-named persons by the brig, Captain Potter met with an accident, from which he died on the --th day of --; and the mate, Thomas Purchas, succeeded to the command of the vessel. Then Purchas gave way to drink, and on the night of the --th day of -- committed suicide by jumping overboard. Thereupon Mr Richard Leslie, who had at one time been an officer in the British navy, a.s.sumed command of the brig, with the intention of navigating her to Valparaiso.

During the pa.s.sage of Cape Horn, however, the _Mermaid_ encountered contrary winds and very heavy weather, in which she was dismasted, with the loss of three of her crew. The brig was then put under jury rig, so far as the resources of the vessel permitted; but it was not of a sufficiently efficient character to permit of her being worked to windward, and a persistent succession of contrary winds drove her deep into the heart of the Pacific Ocean, where, during a gale that sprang up on the night of the --th of --, she was driven ash.o.r.e, and became a total wreck on the outlying reef of an unknown island, not marked on the charts, but situate in Lat.i.tude 16 degrees 8 minutes South, Longitude 120 degrees 56 minutes West. During this gale the _Mermaid_ was again dismasted, and Mr Leslie, who was at the wheel, was knocked down and injured on the head by the falling wreckage, in consequence of which he was conveyed below, where Miss Trevor remained in attendance upon him.

He lay insensible for nearly thirty-six hours; and it was during this time that the brig struck on and was driven nearly the entire width of the reef, where she now lies. The only survivors of this disaster are Miss Trevor and Mr Leslie, who undoubtedly owe their lives to the fact that they were below when the brig struck. It is urgently requested that help be sent to them as quickly as possible, as the island upon which they have been wrecked lies quite out of the usual track of shipping, and their prospects of rescue by a pa.s.sing vessel are consequently small.

"(Signed) Flora Trevor. Richard Leslie.

"Dated this--day of --, 18--."

"There," exclaimed Leslie, as he read over the completed doc.u.ment, "that ought to bring us help if the bottle happens to be picked up. But we must not count upon it, for it may drift about for years before it is found. However, we will do what we can to attract attention to it. A mere floating bottle is a very inconspicuous object, and may be pa.s.sed within a hundred feet without being noticed; but I will pack it in a good big packing-case before sending it adrift. A floating case, especially if conspicuously marked, stands a hundred times as good a chance of being picked up as does a mere bottle."

Accordingly, on the following day, the bottle, with the doc.u.ment hermetically sealed within it, was taken on board the brig and carefully packed away in the centre of a large packing-case filled with fine shavings from other cases; and then the entire exterior of the case was painted black and white in a bold chequer pattern, with the words "Please open" in bold red letters on each side, and as soon as the paint was dry Leslie put it on board the catamaran, and, running some three miles to leeward of the island, launched it overboard. The case, being light, floated high, and, with its bold chequer pattern, formed a conspicuous object, calculated to attract attention at any distance not exceeding a mile. Then he returned to the brig, and, with Flora's a.s.sistance, resumed his task of breaking out cargo.

There is no need to state in detail the contents of each case and bale that they hoisted on deck; suffice it to say that the cargo, being what is known as "general," comprised almost every imaginable thing, much of it being of a character that would either conduce to their present comfort or be possibly useful to them in the future. Only a small proportion of the whole, therefore, went overboard; and since the remainder would in any case be irretrievably lost to its proper owners, Leslie had no scruples whatever in appropriating it to their own use.

The goods thus appropriated comprised an infinite variety of articles, among which may be enumerated enough lamps to illuminate a small village; a few pictures, with which they adorned the interior of their tent; household furniture of all kinds, such as bedsteads, with their bedding, wardrobes, dressing and other tables, chests of drawers, domestic utensils of every kind, cutlery, china and gla.s.s, carpets, a huge pier gla.s.s, and, to Flora's infinite delight, a magnificent Kaps grand piano. Then there was more clothing--enough to last them both for the remainder of their lives--a case of repeating rifles and revolvers, another case containing ammunition for the same, and a quant.i.ty of valuable jewellery, watches, etcetera, cases of perfumery, handsome fans, bric-a-brac--in short, a sufficiency of everything to enable them to convert their humble tent into a most comfortable, elegant, and luxurious abode.

This, however, was not all, or even their most valuable find. There were cases containing picks, shovels, and other implements, some steel wheelbarrows, a case containing a large a.s.sortment of carpenters' and joiners' tools, cases of a.s.sorted nails and screws, and a very long packing-case, which, upon being opened, was found to contain a handsome and highly finished set of spars, evidently intended for a yacht of about fifteen tons measurement. Close to this was found another case, bearing the same marks as the first, and containing two complete sets of cotton canvas sails, clearly intended for the same craft. These valuable finds not only filled Leslie's heart with immeasurable delight, but set him eagerly searching for further cases, similarly marked. Nor was he disappointed, for the next day's search resulted in his finding a third case, the contents of which consisted of a complete set of gun-metal belaying-pins and other fittings, together with a number of patent blocks, single, double, and threefold, that he had no difficulty in identifying as intended for the same craft.

"Little woman," he exclaimed, "this find is worth more than all the rest of them put together. These spars and sails will save me months of work, and shorten our term of imprisonment here by just that much. They are intended for a craft of about the size that I had in my mind, and now, of course, I shall design her of exactly such dimensions as they will fit. Are you not glad?"

"Of course I am, d.i.c.k," she replied; "I am glad of anything that will ease your work for you, for indeed you have been making a perfect slave of yourself ever since we landed here. The discovery of these things has, I suppose, relieved your mind of a great deal of anxiety; and I hope that now you will be able to take matters more easily."

"I am afraid," said d.i.c.k, "there still remains a great deal to be done before I can think of 'taking matters easily.' I must complete my examination of this cargo, for one thing; and when that is done I must begin to pull the poor old brig herself to pieces for the sake of her timber, that being the only material available out of which to build our boat."

"But surely there is no such very urgent need for hurry over all this work, is there, d.i.c.k?" remonstrated Flora.

"Oh yes, there is," insisted d.i.c.k; "for the reason that, if another gale were to spring up, the brig would most probably go to pieces, and then everything in her would be lost, excepting, of course, such matters as might be washed ash.o.r.e. And the timber of which she is built would be more or less smashed up and generally made less fit for use than it will be if I am afforded time to break her up carefully."

"I see," a.s.sented Flora, thoughtfully. "In that case I suppose we had better go to work again, hadn't we?"

So they resumed operations; d.i.c.k descending into the hold and slinging the cases, one by one, and then coming on deck and taking the tackle fall to the winch, and heaving the package on deck while Flora hung on to the tail-end of the rope to prevent it slipping round the winch barrel. It was easy work for the girl, and such as she could do without becoming greatly fatigued; but for the man it was hard labour indeed, and such as sent him back to the island at night almost too weary to eat.

But a day or two later he met with a find that more than rewarded him for all his toil, and rendered a further continuance of it unnecessary.

Among the first cases that he came upon was a long and heavy one, marked like those containing the spars and sails, that, upon being opened, was found to contain copper sheathing, already cut to shape and carefully marked. There was also, in the same case, a small, light, flat box, containing two drawings to scale; one being a sheer, half-deck, and body plan of a very smart, handsome, and wholesome-looking cutter, thirty-five feet long on the water-line, and ten feet beam; while the other was a drawing similarly marked to the copper sheathing, showing exactly where and how every sheet ought to be applied. Near this case was another, similarly marked, a very large case as to length and breadth, but of no great depth. Wondering what this could possibly contain, Leslie eagerly opened it and found in it the complete set of steel frames for the cutter, packed one inside the other, and each marked and figured in accordance with the sheet of plans. And finally, not to dwell at undue length upon this discovery, important though it was, he also found the keel, stem and stern-posts, rudder and trunk, deck-beams, wales, stringers, skin and deck-planking--in short, every sc.r.a.p and item of material and fittings required for the little vessel; so that nothing remained but to put the whole together. A more fortunate find could by no possibility be conceived for two people circ.u.mstanced as he and his companion were.

It goes without saying that the whole of this valuable material was most carefully and promptly transferred to the beach; and as the last item of it was unloaded from the catamaran Leslie flung himself down upon the sand and exclaimed, in accents of infinite relief--

"There, that is a good job well done; and I care not now though the old hooker should go to pieces to-morrow!"

"And now," returned Flora, "you will be able to give yourself a little holiday, and take some much-needed rest, will you not? Promise me that you will, d.i.c.k, please. You have been looking very anxious and worried of late, and have been toiling the whole day through, day after day, in the hot sun. I am sure such arduous work is not good for you; and indeed I have more than once been tempted to refuse to help you, because I knew that, if I did, you would be compelled to desist. But when I saw how eager you were I thought it would be cruel; and I could not bring myself to be that, even though I felt that it would be for your good."

"You have been infinitely good to me, Flora," answered Leslie, with deep feeling--"infinitely good, and infinitely patient; while I have been impatient and exacting. In my impatience--I can see it now--I have worked you cruelly hard--"

The girl put her hand over his mouth. "You shall not say another word until you talk sensibly," she declared. "The idea of saying that you 'worked me hard'! Why, what _I_ did was child's play; a girl of fifteen could have done it without being distressed. Please do not let me hear you say such things again!" she insisted, imperiously; immediately adding, "Now, you will promise to take a day's rest to-morrow, will you not, d.i.c.k?"

"Certainly, if you wish it," a.s.sented Leslie. "We will both take a day's holiday, and go fishing along the inner edge of the reef, shall we?"

"By all means," agreed Flora. "I have often thought that I should like a little fish, as a change of diet; I am getting most horribly tired of salt beef and pork and tinned meats. But you have been so feverishly busy that I did not like to ask you."

"Then," said Leslie, with severity, "please do not do it again. How many times must I tell you that you have only to express a wish, to have it gratified, if I can do it, before you will believe me?"

"I do believe you, d.i.c.k; indeed I do," she answered softly. "I know that there is nothing I could ask you that you would not willingly and gladly do for me if you could. You are the kindest, most generous, most chivalrous gentleman that I ever met--"

"Stop, please!" exclaimed Leslie, with a sudden fierceness of energy that frightened the girl; "you must not say such things as that, or I shall some day forget myself and--But you have not yet heard my story; I must tell it you some day, Flora; yes, the time is drawing near when it will be imperatively necessary for me to tell you my story. Then we shall see what your opinion of me will be."

"So you really have a history?" remarked the girl. "The people on board the _Golden Fleece_ suspected as much, and freely said so; and as I have watched you from time to time, and have observed your sudden fits of melancholy, I have often thought that they must have been right in their surmise. Yes; you shall tell me your story, d.i.c.k; I shall be profoundly interested in it, I am certain; and if it is a sad one--as I more than half suspect--you shall have my whole-hearted sympathy. But, whatever you may have to tell me, it will never alter my opinion of you; you may have met with misfortune, or suffered grievous wrong, but nothing will ever persuade me that such a man as you have shown yourself to be can ever have done anything of which you or your friends need be ashamed.

Tell it me now, d.i.c.k, if you will."

"No," answered Leslie, resolutely, though he longed for her promised sympathy more intensely than he had ever longed for anything else in his life; "no; I will not tell you now; the time is not yet ripe. But it will be ere long; and then I will tell you."

"So be it," agreed Flora. "Until then I can wait. And now let us go to dinner, for I see by the appearance of the cooking-stove that it is ready, and I am sure you must need it."

On the following morning, in accordance with their over-night arrangement, they got on board the catamaran after breakfast and, sailing out to the reef, anch.o.r.ed on its inner edge, and started to fish. They appeared, however, to have chanced upon an unfavourable spot to start with, for after about half an hour their efforts were rewarded by the capture of only four fish, so small as to be quite worthless, except for bait; Leslie therefore tripped his anchor and, setting his canvas, determined to try his luck somewhat further to the north-eastward, and nearer the entrance channel.

They had been under way some ten minutes, slipping along over the very inner edge of the reef, with the deep-water of the lagoon on their port hand, when Flora, who was peering abstractedly down into this deep, pellucid water, suddenly cried out--